Gun-sight



(No Model.)

`4D. S. WEST.

. GUN SIGHT.

No. 426,887. PatentedApr. 29, 1890.

WIZ/VESSES @naw www QW Nrrm) STATES ATENT muon.

DERRICK SUMNER VEST, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,887, dated April 29, 1890.

Application filed June 15, 1889. Serial No. 314,399. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, DERRICK SUMNER WEST, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Great Falls, in the county of Cascade and Territory of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun-Sights; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying dra\vings,\vhich form a part of this specifition, and in Which- Figure l isa perspective view of the breech end of a rifle equipped with my improved sight. Fig. 2 is a side View of the sight removed from its seat on the barrel. a front elevation of the same with the folding leaf raised to its vertical position. Fig. 4 is a similar view, but showing the sight as it appears when the leaf is folded down flat upon its base. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View on line a: x in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a crosssection on line y ly in Fig. 5.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention relates to gun-sights of that class which are afxed upon the breech end of the barrel, and usually known as open rear sights in contradistinction to peep or tang sights; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts of the folding leaf sight, hereinafter described, whereby a marksman is enabled to obtain the properelevation at a glance and Without any other adjustment of the sight than simply raising its folding leaf into a vertical position when firing at an object farther removed than the point-blank range.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A denotes the rifle-barrel, and B the sight-base, which is in the nature of a stiff spring and provided at one end with the usual dovetailed block C, adapted to be dovetailed into a slot a in the barrel. To prevent lateral motion of the base, a screw may be inserted through an aperture b in the base-block and screwed down into the barrel. The free end of the spring-base B is turned up to form a hinge D for the folding leaf E, the lower end of which has a cross-head F, through which Fig. 3 is.

angular slots or openings e, one above an-l other, the apex of each inverted triangle forming a small notch c', all of which are aligned with one another. These apertures are marked with the numerals 2, 3, 4, &c., up to 9 or above, the numeral indicating the range in hundreds of yards appertaining to each notch or aperture. It will also be seen by reference to the front View, Fig. 3, that these triangular sight-openings e e gradually increase in size from the bottomv toward the top of the leaf, so that a person taking aim and' familiar With the range and elevations represented by the different openings can tell at a glance the difference between them Without consulting the marginal marks or scale, and thereby avoid confusion or error by taking aim through the Wrong opening, which would be likely to happen sometimes if these openings were all of the same size.

In order to avoid blurring or haziness of the aim, that part of the leaf in which the triangular sight-openings are cut is very thin, as will appear by reference to Fig. 6, and is re-enforced by thicker Webs I along the sides of the leaf, thus making it sufticiently'stiff and strong to prevent it from becoming bent or distorted.

My improved sight permits of an instantaneous aim being taken at any elevation up to the range of the gun, and is therefore Well adapted for military and sporting arms used for firing at moving objects at different ranges. No time is lost in adjusting the sight to a given elevation. If the marksman correctly estimates his distance, the proper elevation is had at once simply by taking aim through that particular triangle which corresponds to the estimated range.

It is obvious that this sight may be used, if desired, in connection with peep or aper- IOO ture sights fastened upon the tang or grip of the riiie, as it Will be entirely out of the Way of such sights When the leaf is folded down flat upon its base.

I am aware that a gun-sight has been pro posed in which there was a folding leaf provided With a series of sight-openings gradually increasing in size from one end of the leaf to the other, and such I do not broadly claim, my invention consisting, essentially, in a folding leaf having a series of triangular openings gradually increasing in size and provided With a notch at the apex of each inverted triangle, whereby airn can be more quickly and accurately taken. l Having thus described my invention, Iv

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- A gun-sight consisting of the base B and the foldingleaf E, hinged thereto, said leaf being provided With a series of inverted triangular openings e, gradually increasing in size, arranged one above another, and with a notch e at the apex of each inverted triangle, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto afiiXed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DERRIOK SUMNER WEST.

Witnesses:

F. F. SHUR, E. S. COBB. 

